Bodies of 65 students identified as fingerprints matched to data

Families at Chiromo Mortuary on April 6, 2015 waiting to identify the bodies of their relatives killed in the attack on Garissa University College. PHOTO | EVANS HABIL |  NATION MEDIA GROUP

In Summary

• All the bodies were finger-printed on Sunday evening.
• By Monday evening, 78 bodies had been positively identified by relatives at the mortuary.

By NATION REPORTER
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At least 65 bodies of victims of the Garissa University College terrorist attack have been identified by matching their fingerprints to the government database, Health Cabinet Secretary James Macharia has said.

Postmortem exams on all the 144 bodies at the Chiromo Mortuary was also completed on Monday after the government got 15 more pathologists to help.

All the bodies were finger-printed on Sunday evening after some proved to be too disfigured to be identified by family members.

“We started having cases where two or three families would positively identify the same body as that of their loved ones, so we resorted to a scientific confirmation of the identities,” he said.

By Monday evening, 78 bodies had been positively identified by relatives at the mortuary.

Some of these are also included in the bodies whose identity was scientifically verified. So it is not yet possible to get a tally of the total number of positive identification.

“We have asked the team at the morgue to reconcile the figures, and I am sure we will have final tallies by Wednesday,” said Mr Macharia.

Crime scene experts and officers from the Directorate of Criminal Investigations assisted with fingerprinting, finishing the task in the early hours of Monday.

“We have been sending the fingerprints in batches of 20 to the National Bureau of Registration. Once all the bodies are positively identified, a postmortem will be carried out, after which relatives can proceed with funeral arrangements,” said the CS.

He added that the Ministry of Health and the Red Cross would buy coffins at a cost of Sh20,000 each to support the families.

COMPENSATION

Education Principal Secretary Belio Kipsang also announced on Monday that his ministry and Garissa University College’s parent university, Moi University, will give Sh100,000 to each family that lost a loved one.

National Disaster Management Unit Deputy Director Pius Mwachi called on Kenyans to unite in the fight against terrorism instead of criticising government efforts.

“I would urge Kenyans to fight for their lives in case of an attack. People should not surrender or else they will just be killed like cockroaches,” said Mr Mwachi.

Yesterday, Muslims and Christians from Eastleigh in Nairobi visited the mortuary to condole with grieving families.

Eastleigh Residents Association chairman Hussein Roba condemned the attack and called for unity among the different religious groups.

Some of the students who have not been found by their relatives:

Edward Wafula

Dorothy Nyongesa

Emily Namaemba

Ruth Nakhanu Esiromo

Stella Namalwa Nyongesa

Leah Nanjala Wafula

Victor Oluoch Mbogo

Harriet Chemoita

Angela Nyokabi Githakwa

Bilha Njoki Gitau

Mandaa Ndakaramoi Philemon

Anyanza Wakhungu

Dennis Olimba Onyango

Agnes Mwende Muthama

Edna Muthoni

Thomas Nyaiburi

Moses Njuguna Mungai

Salome Wambui Kinuthia

Joseph Ngacha Nderitu

Samwel Muchire Gaturu

Jacob Makokha

Tobias Sifuna Simiyu

Isaiah Cheruto

Milton Namayi Mukhwana